Coupling device



July 14,-511931. J. BECKER 1,314,427

COUPLING DEVICE Original Filed April 12. 1928 AMI/W7 INVENTOR JosEpH L.BECKER ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES are JOSEPH L.BECKER, OF STILLWATER, MINNESOTA COUPLING DEVICE Original applicationfiled April 12, 1928, Serial No. 269,458. Divided and. this applicatonfiled November 22, 1929. Serial No. 409,102.

This invention relates to draft connections for vehicles and the primaryobject is to provide an efiicient, practical and novel construction ofcoupling device that is particularly designed for connecting implements,such as road graders, behind tractors which supply the propelling power.The

present application is a division of my copending patent application,Ser. No. 269,458, filed April 12, 1928, for road grading machine. Theinvention will be more fully disclosed in the course of the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved coupling device, withcertain parts omitted for purpose of illustration.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation showing the spring and tractorarrangement at the forward end of the device.

Referring to the drawings more particularly and by reference characters,A designates the front end of the vehicle frame to be drawn. Asillustrated in my application, Ser. No. 269,458, the vehicle may be aroad grading machine, and is of the type in which the frame supports thegrading tools and is in turn supported, at its rear, by a pair oflaterally disposed wheels, while .30 the forward end of the frame issupported by the tractor, so that the vehicle or grading machine, as aunit, will trail behind the tractor pulling it.

The forward end of the grader or vehicle frame A is provided with acasting 3 having a horizontal bearing portion 4 which receives the pivotpin 5 of an inclined coupler member or casting 6. The lower and forwardend of the casting 6 is universally connected, as by a transverse pivot7 and a vertical pivot 8, to the rear end of a draw bar 9. This draw baris provided, at its rear, with a guide block 10 that is slidably guidedin a box shaped bearing 11 of a cross .41.5 beam 12 which is rigidlysecured to the tractor, frame portions of which are indicated in dottedlines as at 13. The draw bar 9' extends under the tractor, designated inFig. 2 as B, and slidably guides a lug or bracket arm 14 that is rigidwith the tractor body excessive against the breakage of less sturdyparts proper. At its forward end the draw bar is provided with a nut 15and washer 16, between which washer and the member 14 is disposed acompression spring 17 tending to hold the draw bar forwardly. It willthus be seen that the spring 17 will have a decidedinfiuence inprotecting the connected machines, with respect to jars and vibrations,and the cushioning effect thus produced is particularly beneficial tothe tractor when a machine such as a road grader is being drawn, as sucha machine is subject to a large amount of jarring and uneven resistanceunder varying road surface conditions.

lt'may here be noted that the coupler casting or unit 6 is provided witha pair of laterally disposed integrally formed shoulders 18, which areso arranged that they will stop or abut against the ends of the crossbeam 12- or adjacent tractor parts when too sharp a turn is beingattempted with the double unit machine. In such event one of theshoulders 18 will, when making such a contact, cause a the spring 17,thus yieldingly resisting the steering angle, and insuring which wouldotherwise come in contact with each other.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of theappended claims.' Having now therefore fully iltrated and described my invention what I claim to be new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A coupling mechanism for supportpull through the bar 9 to LUS- ablyconnecting the front end of a vehicle .90

to a tractor, comprising a draw bar yieldably secured to the tractor, abracket member rigidly secured at the forward end of the vehicle, and acoupler member disposed between the bracket member and draw bar tosupport the former on the latter, a pivot connection between the couplerand bracket members, and; a universal joint connection between the drawbar and the forward end of the coupler member.

2. A coupling mechanism for supportably connecting the front end of avehlcle to a tractor, comprising a draw bar yieldably secured to thetractor, a bracket member rigidly secured at the forward end of thevehicle, and a coupler member disposed between the bracket member anddraw bar to support the former on the latter, a pivot connection betweenthe coupler and bracket members, and a universal joint connectionbetween the draw bar and the forward end of the coupler member, saidpivot connection having a horizontally disposed pivot center.

3. A coupling mechanism for supportably connecting a vehicle to atractor, comprising a cross beam for rigid attachment to the tractor, adraw bar slidably secured in the cross beam, means tending to move thedraw bar forwardly, a coupler member for supporting attachment to thevehicle, and a universal joint connecting the forward end of the couplermember to the rear end of the draw bar.

4. A coupling mechanism for connecting a vehicle to a tractor,comprising a cross beam for rigid attachment to the tractor, a draw barslidably secured at its rear in the cross beam, means at the front endof the draw bar tending to move it forwardly, and a coupler memberpivotally secured at its opposite ends to the draw bar and vehicle andadapted to support the front end of the vehicle from the draw bar.

5. A coupling mechanism for connecting a vehicle to a tractor,comprising a cross beam for rigid attachment to the tractor and having acentrally disposed bearing box, a draw bar having an enlarged rear endportion slidably secured in the bearing box, yieldable means tending tomove the draw bar forwardly, a coupler member pivotally connecting thevehicle and draw bar, and laterally disposing abutments carried by thecoupling member for contact with adjacent tractor or cross beam parts tobring said yieldable means into action to resist too sharp turningmovement of the tractor and vehicle with respect to each other.

6. A coupling mechanism for supportably connecting the front end of avehicle frame to a tractor comprising a draw bar slidably securedcentrally of the tractor and having a universal joint at its rear end,yieldable means tending to hold the draw bar in a forward position, acoupler casting connected at its front end to the universal joint andhaving a horizontal sup porting pivot connection at its rear end to thevehicle frame, and laterally disposed abutments carried by the couplercasting for engagement with respect to the tractor to bring theyieldable means into action to resist too sharp turning of the tractorwith respect to the vehicle drawn therebehind.

Signed at Stillwater, Minnesota, this 19th day of November 1929. JOSEPHL. BECKER.

